Within Tolerance

Kicking off Down the Rabbit Hole, a new Within Tolerance podcast for nerds, by nerds. Justin and Zap launch their multi-part series "My Tool Library Is Better Than Yours" with the bootstrap basics: a simple four-folder structure, modeling your holders and tools accurately, and getting roughing and finishing presets dialed in. No money required—just stop building tools from scratch every damn time.

Links mentioned:

Fusion Essentials - https://github.com/Kings-Mountain-Labs/Fusion-Essentials

Check out Zap's IG @zap.consulting

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Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

Justin Gray catches us up on life post-Toolpath. We get into Justin Gray Labs and his vibe coding kits — along with the security nightmares they're built to prevent. He's also chasing fidget pistons to a two-tenth window on a Syil and Speedio. Then we get into Kinematic Sauce, the calibration algorithm he and Zap built for Speedios, with Fanuc and Haas next. Plus, his new show Down the Rabbit Hole is launching soon here on Within Tolerance! Check out Justin's IG @justingraylabs and at justingraylabs.com-----------------------------------------

Help support the podcast ⁠www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

Two months of catching up with Zap: the Toolpath Summit recap, his Claude-built ERP CritLink processing real money, and his Boise shop dialed in for remote operation. Dylan finally has power, runs the Flex overnight, untangles a kinematic shift on the C250, and survives a titanium job that tried to take him out.

Check out Zap's IG @zap.consulting

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Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

Matt Blackwell spent over two decades fixing jets and flying C-17s before building a one-man backyard shop and a fiber laser fixture business he never planned on. We talk spindle gripping lessons, the messy line between hobby and business, and how a guy in a backyard shop ends up tapping a few hundred thousand holes.

Check out Matt's IG @blackwell_engineering

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Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

Joe Alonso tells the full Novo Modo origin story—off-grid childhood, working full-time at 16, a career detour through blindness and Microsoft, and launching a shop on pure conviction with no customers lined up. We dig into his inspection-first approach, keeping shops small on purpose, and why culture fixes more than training ever will.

Check out Joe's LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/joseph-alonso-34874690Check out Novo Modo's IG @novomodomachining

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Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

Zap and Dylan catch up after a busy stretch. Boise expansion, Texas customer visits, QuickBooks meltdown, and the Claude Code build. Dylan's still chasing power for the Flex, doubled up compressors, and is increasingly frustrated with Fusion. Plus questions on specialization, work holding, financing, and the worst shops Zap's walked into.

Check out Zap's IG @zap.consulting

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Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

Brian Kippen is back after nearly four years to talk about an incredible period of growth and change at KAD Models. From teaching machining to acquiring a wire forming business, adding a MAM with automation, and managing three facilities across two coasts—all while raising a toddler. We dive into the cultural challenges of bringing precision work to a fast-paced prototype shop, the reality of machine automation ROI, and why delegation is harder than it sounds.

Check out Brian's IG @kadmodels

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Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

Zap and I wrap up 2025 with our first live podcast! Patreon members join us as we answer questions, reflect on 2025, and talk about plans for 2026. Thanks to everyone for a wonderful 2025 and looking forward to a great 2026 with more guests and episodes!

McMaster Ugly Sweater - https://laurenfahey.me/mmc-ugly-christmas-sweater/

Keyence Sensors are - FR-S01 for radar level sensing and FI-C20D for refractometer

Check out Zap's IG @zap.consulting

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Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

This week I talk with Ethan Perrin about MIT Formula SAE, building the Miters West shop, and why a small fiber laser and press brake changed how he prototypes. We also hit rescuing CMM's on a budget and his alumni EV formula car.

Check out Ethan’s IG @ethan.perrin97

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Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast

In‑person catch‑up: pre‑Flex rigging shuffle, neighbors bribed with donuts, and the first HyperMill customer part. Zap runs through leaving Boise, growing the team, splitting work the right way, and getting a shop moving with CMM, coolant, and probing.

Check out Zap's IG @zap.consulting

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Help support the podcast www.patreon.com/withintolerancepodcast